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His cause of death was not mentioned, and the court issued the following statement:
"Pennsylvania has lost a jurist who served the Court and the citizens of the Commonwealth with distinction.
Chief Justice Baer was an influential and intellectual jurist whose unwavering focus was on administering fair and balanced justice. He was a tireless champion for children, devoted to protecting and providing for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.
His distinguished service and commitment to justice and fairness spanned his decades on the bench – first as a family court judge in Allegheny County and eventually as administrative judge in family court before being elected to serve on the Supreme Court.
On behalf of the Court, we offer our deepest condolences to family, friends and colleagues of Chief Justice Baer.”
Baer was first elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2003 and took over as Chief Justice in 2021 after Chief Justice Thomas Saylor retired.
A Pittsburgh native, Baer graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in 1971, and in 1975, he graduated with a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.
He has worked as an administrative judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and deputy attorney general with the state's attorney general's office.
Justice Debra Todd, who was set to replace Baer in December, is the new chief justice.
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